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Minister’s son arrested for ‘smuggling’ liquor, watches

HYDERABAD — In a shocking incident, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport detained four high profile persons including state Housing Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana’s son Kanna Phaneendra late in the wee hours of Wednesday for allegedly trying to smuggle foreign liquor and wrist watches valued at over Rs four million.

Besides Phaneendra, the others detained when they arrived at the Shamshabad airport by a London-Dubai-Hyderabad Emirates flight are Serilingampally legislator Bhikshapathi Yadav’s son M Ravi Kumar Yadav, Uppal MLA Raji Reddy’s brother Bandari Lakshma Reddy and Gudur Prasad, a city businessman. All four, who opted for the Green Channel, were detained by the DRI sleuths for questioning and trying to evade customs duty.

Sources said the DRI officials found 36 bottles of premium brand scotch and champagne and 11 top-of-the-shelf brand wristwatches, which put together would have attracted customs duty of Rs1.5 million. The DRI officials apparently received a tip-off from Dubai airport officials and were lying in wait for their arrival. Soon after the detention of the four, DRI and customs officials reportedly received several calls from political leaders seeking their release.

news@khaleejtimes.com